KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airlines Bhd and Qatar Airways will significantly expand their codeshare cooperation to 96 combined destinations allowing passengers to travel the world and enjoy seamless connectivity via their leading hubs in Kuala Lumpur and Doha.
The airlines said this in unveiling the roadmap outlining the next phase of their strategic partnership, following Malaysia Airlines’ announcement to launch a non-stop service from Kuala Lumpur to Doha from May 25.
The airlines noted that their strategic partnership evolved progressively beginning 2001 and have significantly expanded with the signing of a memorandum of understanding in February this year to leverage each other’s network strengths and provide robust access for passengers to travel to new destinations beyond their individual network and ultimately lead Asia Pacific travel.
In a joint statement today, the airlines shared that their codeshare expansion, which adds 34 destinations to the existing 62 codeshare destinations, marked another milestone in the long-standing relationship between the two countries’ national carriers and oneworld partners.
The agreement, they said would benefit travellers from across the globe that will have access to a much greater combined network and enjoy a seamless travel experience on both airlines with a single ticket including check-in, boarding and baggage-check processes, frequent flyer benefits and world-class lounge access for the entire journey.
“In linking both route networks, the partners are striving to develop Kuala Lumpur as a leading aviation hub in the Southeast Asia region connecting Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand with the Middle East, Europe, the Americas and Africa.
“Furthermore, Malaysia Airlines and Qatar Airways will leverage synergies across multiple business areas and develop innovative products to benefit their customers worldwide,” they said.
Malaysia Airlines’ group chief executive officer (CEO) Captain Izham Ismail said as the country is moving into the endemic phase, this partnership is opportune in the efforts to boost air traffic and expedite recovery to pre-pandemic levels, while also enhancing the airline’s global brand visibility.
Meanwhile, Qatar Airways group CEO Akbar Al Baker said the airline is experiencing a new optimism in air travel and expect a strong rebound in global demand.
“With our dynamic partnership with Malaysia Airlines, we are aiming to provide unparalleled service and a superior travel experience for our customers,” he commented.
On another note, the airlines said the enhanced cooperation will include reciprocal loyalty benefits allowing Qatar Airways Privilege Club members to earn and redeem Avios points when flying on Malaysia Airlines, with similar benefits for Malaysia Airlines Enrich members when travelling on Qatar Airways.
Privilege Club and Enrich members will also enjoy a wide range of other unique benefits, depending on tier status, such as complimentary lounge access, complimentary extra baggage allowance, priority check-in, priority boarding and priority baggage delivery on Malaysia Airlines and Qatar Airways, they added. − BERNAMA
